Witchblade: Rihoko's Fate
by MelodyAngel777
Summary: It has been Twelve years since the Witchblade's disappearance and Masane Amaha's epic battle at Tokyo Tower with the Neogene, Maria, and the iWeapons. Twelve years later has the Witchblade, thought to be wiped from the world, resurfaced?
1. Odd Things Amaha

_Disclaimer: I do not own Witchblade or any characters associated with it. _

**Chapter 1: Odd Things Amaha **

"How much rice do we need, Miss Amaha?" A male cook a bout 6ft 2in with blonde hair and brown eyes questioned.

"Three pounds," A girl who was obviously the head chef by her big white toque and the more obvious apron labeled 'Head Chef' in bold red print. She had her shoulder length ebony hair in a hair net, her big brown eyes were watching over some vegetable broth. "And Kazuki, how many times must I ask you to call me Rihoko?" Her pink lips formed a bright grin. "Miss Amaha makes me feel old, and I'm only 18." She laughed.

"Yeah at 18 you're the best chef in all of Tokyo," Kazuki laughed. "All of Japan too, maybe even the entire world!" He went on.

"Maybe not the world, Zuki." She laughed and began putting some spices into the broth. "Sako?"

"Yes, Rihoko?" A woman in her early twenties answered.

"Would you mind stirring the broth while I cut up some vegetables?" Rihoko smiled, her smile was so kind and generous, it seemed to light up even the darkest rooms.

"Sure thing, Riko!" Sako took the wooden spoon in hand and started stirring a bit manically.

Rihoko laughed. 'Sako, stir slowly." She said in a stretched calming voice, like the voice one would use with a child.

"Sorry." Sako grinned awkwardly; sweat dropping from the side of her face.

Rihoko took a bunch of carrots out of a basket and began chopping them up on a chopping board and shoving them off neatly into the broth, she hummed a little tune, one that her mother had taught her when she was five years old.

"Riko?" Sako's worried blue eyes came into Rihoko's vision. "Are you alright?"

"Huh?" she questioned, just noticing that her cheeks were damp. She didn't even notice that she'd started to cry. There were no onions to blame it on. "Oh I'm alright." She smiled a bit and wiped her eyes.

It had been twelve years since her mom sacrificed her life atop of Tokyo Tower. Twelve years and the lullaby her mom used to sing to her still made her cry.

After wiping her eyes, she finished chopping up the vegetables and putting them into the broth. "You guys can handle everything right?" she questioned her three person staff.

"Of course, Miss Amaha." Kazuki smirked.

"Stop being a jerk, Kazuki." A light brown eyed brunette whacked Kazuki over the head with a spatula.

"Ow that's food contamination, Yokoshita!" he yelled rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, yeah, that's why you're washing it." Yokoshita threw the spatula at him, hitting him in the nose.

"Oww," Kazuki picked up the spatula and was about to throw it back.

"No playing in the kitchen children!" Rihoko laughed putting her hands to her hips.

"Sorry Mis-"Kazuki started but this time Yokoshita had a knife. "Rihoko-chan!" he grinned nervously at Yokoshita.

Yokoshita gave a satisfied smile and picked up another spatula and sautéed scallops in olive oil.

Rihoko took off her apron and retired to her office. It had only been a year since Odd Things Amaha had opened in Tokyo, but it was already a big hit in the first six months.

When word got out that she was the daughter of Reiji Takayama, the former Bureau Chief of Dohji Industries, a weapons company that had created the EX-Cons and the infamous iWeapons, people flocked there just to see what she had to offer, word got out about how great the food was, and there Rihoko was today; head chef of a small one of a kind 4 star restaurant in the middle of Tokyo.

She herself had found out that Takayama was her biological father on her seventh birthday. He decided to tell her once they had formed a bit of a bond.

Rihoko looked at a family photograph of herself, her mother, and her father that was framed on her desk. She smiled and held onto her necklace, a clam shell of two different clams that fit perfectly together. Remembering that day on the beach twelve years ago, a girl told her when she found the shells that if she gave them to someone, that meant that they would never be separated.

Knock Knock Knock!

"Riko?" Sako popped her purple head in. "Someone is here to see you."

"Really who is it?" Rihoko questioned a bit surprised, the only people who came to see her were Mariko, Mr. Cho, Tozawa, Takayama and Naomi. If it were the health inspector then that's how they'd be announced.

"He says his name is Masaya Wado?" Sako questioned Rihoko, wondering if she'd recognized the name.

Rihoko thought, the name sounded familiar but she couldn't put a face to him. "Just let him in, I'll yell if I need anything, thanks Sako."

Sako bowed a bit and left the room, a few minutes later a tall man with graying hair, snake squinted eyes, long, bony fingers and a slightly thin structure walked into her office.

It hit her, Wado, he was the man who underhanded took over Dohji and called all the iWeapons to Tokyo after her mom, the last bearer of the lost Witchblade.

Last she'd heard was that he'd been put in a mental institution, he was dubbed insane after learning that the iWeapons attack on Tokyo was his entire fault.

Rihoko's eyes narrowed. "What do you want Mr. Wado?"

The man took a seat in front of her desk and threaded his fingers together, casually crossing his legs.

"Do you remember the Witchblade?" He questioned, his voice had a very eerie scratchy sound about it.


	2. Amaha In Need

Rihoko's eyes widened. "The Witchblade….." she murmured. Could it be this ancient artifact had resurfaced after twelve years? If it had, this would mean that her mother's death was in vain.

"Ah, I see you remember it, your mother, Masane Amaha, fought with it for you sake, although it did destroy her in the end." He chuckled a bit.

"Leave right now." Rihoko interrupted him through gritted teeth.

"But I haven't even stated why I've come." He smirked. "I had a friend, Nishida, who did extensive research on the Witchblade before its disappearance and came to the conclusion that you were a perfect match for it."

"What?" Rihoko stood bent over her desk, her hands flat near the edges of the table calendar. "I can't be a perfect match for an artifact that does not exist. Now if you will." She opened her office door and held it open for Wado to leave.

"If you insist Miss Amaha," Wado stood, keeping his eyes on Rihoko as he walked out of her office. "You'll have questions if you want to know about your mother." He smirked and handed her a business card and continued out of the restaurant.

'Mom…' Rihoko thought. Wado had information about her mother? Could he possibly know anything that could provide closure after twelve years? Or was it all just a trap?

She took a deep breath, putting her uniform back on, she walked quickly back into the busy kitchen.

"Is everything alright, Riko?" Sako questioned. "I didn't like the look the look of that guy."

"Eh, he was probably a traveling salesman, trying to sell the some 'magic kitchen appliance that no chef can live without'!" Yokoshita waved her spatula around making Kazuki a bit uncomfortable.

"Either way M-, Rihoko." Kazuki eyed a smirking Yokoshita. "Are you alright? You don't look so good."

Rihoko grinned. "I'm fine Kazu, are you done with the rice yet?" she questioned monitoring everyone's progress.

Kazuki stirred the white rice and picked up a spoonful. "Almost, just a few minutes longer."

"Good." Rihoko took out a salmon from a cooler and began cleaning then seasoning it. "After this guys we're closing early."

All the cooks looked at her confused. "What?!" Odd Things Amaha never closed early.

"Well unless you guys can manage this entire place without me?" Rihoko smirked placing her hands on her hips.

"Then again that's alright." Kazuki took the rice off the stove and began spooning it onto plates and into bowls.

"Yeah, I can go see an early movie!" Sako grinned, pouring vegetable soup into bowls.

"And I can finally spend some time with Mr. McMuffin." Yokoshita chuckled taking a few pans out of the oven.

"You mean that demon cat." Kazuki remarked, shuddering at the thought of Yokoshita's feline pet. His remark was met with a swift whack over the head with a cutting board.

Three hours later Odd Things Amaha was closed for the rest of the night, the chefs had gone home. Rihoko was the last one out. She sighed as she locked the restaurant's double doors and took out the business card Wado had given her.

**MASAYA WADO**

NSWF Chief of Research and Development

1-(555)-555-7666

Research and development…. The title catapulted questions into her mind, but it would explain why he'd have any type of information on Masane.

After the Tokyo Tower, news had spread that the NSWF had discontinued all research of the Witchblade, and had destroyed any and all weapons manufactured that dealt with it. The broadcast didn't seem too convincing since they didn't get rid of the 'sisters' instead it was rumored that the new head of the NSWF had picked up where Tatsuoki Furumizu, more affectionately known as 'father', had left off. Instead they were using the genes of several different males, names unknown, but it was all a rumor right? She'd heard her father, Reiji Takayma, talking about it to his used to be assistant at Douji, Hiroki Segawa, but even they said it all was a big rumor, for none of the said 'sisters' had been seen in public as Neogenes. There were nightly attacks, the obvious work of Ex-cons, though; no one wanted to admit it, they weren't causing too much trouble, the newly formed government felt it would cause less causalities if they just let the Ex-cons roam free.

The government set up a national curfew, everyone under the age of 18 had to be inside after 10pm, and adults 11pm. If the rules weren't obeyed you were either A: Killed by an ex-con or B: taken to jail for the night.

Rihoko had a few hours to spare before curfew, it was only 8:07pm. Rihoko walked down the crowded streets to the NSWF headquarters. Taking out her cell she dialed the number on the business card Wado had given her. She had thought the entire way there and decided calling the number couldn't possible do much harm.

It ringed twice before Wado's scratchy voice projected from the phone speaker. "I see you've reconsidered…"

Rihoko quickly ended the call. That was a bit too creepy for words to express. He had been expecting her to call. She had to look into Wado a bit more before making anymore conversation with him.

She dialed another number, a long time friend, he'd always been good at finding out information. Heck he was the lead journalist for the news in Tokyo.

"Hey Riko!" A man's voice answered quite joyfully. "It's been a while, how's it going?"

"Pretty great, Mr. Tozawa." Rihoko chuckled, her voice then becoming more serious. "I need you help getting some information."

"Hm?" Tozawa's voice was obviously of puzzlement; Rihoko had never asked him for information. "What kind of information?"

"On my mother… and the Witchblade…" Rihoko nervously replied, tapping her foot on the concrete sidewalk, shyly looking at people who passed her by as if they would over hear her.

"The Witchblade?!" exclaimed Tozawa, it had been over a decade since he'd heard anything about the Witchblade and now suddenly Rihoko, the very person Masane was trying to keep the ancient artifact from, was questioning about it?

"Who told you about the Witchblade?" Tozawa questioned sternly, of course he knew that Rihoko was informed about the Witchblade, but why suddenly bring it back up? Someone must have brought it up, right? Or maybe she was acting on her free will but his gut was telling him otherwise.

"Masayo Wado…" replied Rihoko, she explained everything the event that had occurred at Odd Things Amaha.

Rihoko sighed. "Listen, Mr. Tozawa, if you're too busy I can just go on my o-"

"No Riko!" He cut her off. "Don't go near him, he's dangerous, and he's lying to you! The Witchblade was destroyed alone with Masane and Tokyo Tower." He said firmly.

Rihoko almost choked as she held back her tears. "Thank you Mr. Tozawa, that's all I needed to know…" She ended the call and looked up at the NSWF building.


	3. Flash Back

**Author's Note: Sorry for taking so long to post this. School started and I don't have much time to do anything lately.**

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**"Flash Back"**

Rihoko took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. What was she doing? She wanted to get information from a shady middle aged man who randomly waltzes into her restaurant promising information about her mother, it seemed too good to be true, and now-a-days a pedophile wasn't uncommon. Yet, it didn't make sense to why he would go so far out of his way to tell her that he knew something about Masane.

She turned away and headed home to the mansion she lived with her father in rural uptown Toyko. She didn't mind staying with him, actually over the years the two had grown quite close. With balancing both a full time job and schooling at the same time it was nice to have a familiar place to wind down.

She pondered on the fact that she could be making a big mistake, and her friends did make very valid points. He was undoubtingly shady, but he said he had information on her mother. Who to trust? For now, her friends had the stronger pull in this tug-o-war.

When Rihoko arrived home she found it odd that her father's vehicle wasn't in the driveway, what made it farfetched was that the front door was unlocked. Being such a man of order and routine, it was unlike Reiji Takayama to suddenly leave and forget to lock the door.

Rihoko took great caution as she entered the mansion. All was quiet, the only sound was the motor of the air conditioner. She set her things down and went up to her room. "Dad?" she questioned the vacant house for the slight chance that he might still be there.

"Mr. Takayama?" She questioned again opening the door to her room.

It was empty.

She started towards upstairs to her father's room.

"Mr. Takayama?" She questioned once more, her voice echoing down the hallway. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid…" she sighed but advanced towards his door. She was convinced something wasn't right. After ten whole years, he'd never left the door unlocked when he wasn't home.

Rihoko placed her hand on the cold metal door knob and pushed down slightly. The door made a light clicking sound and creeked a bit when she opened it. The room was pitch black, soon illuminated as she flicked the light switch. She blinked to let her eyes adjust to light. "Dad?" she questioned hoping that he'd be in bed asleep, but he wasn't.

Seeing that the room was empty she started back to her room. Perhaps he had some important business to take care of? She forced herself to believe that was answer.

"It's been such a long day…" She sighed, disrobing to shower, before she could get her undergarments off, arms reached from behind her pulling a cloth over her face. Before she could react she was unconscious.

"_Riko, I'm home!" A young quite curvaceous woman came rushing into a rather small apartment. She had messy brown hair, pretty brown eyes, wore a yellow shirt with a black tank top underneath, bell bottom hip hugger jeans and brown boots. _

"_MOMMIE!!" A young Rihoko shouted joyfully as she ran to hug the woman. _

"_I'm so glad to be home Riko." The woman picked up the child hugging her tightly. _

"_Mom, guess what!" Rihoko grinned. _

"_What?" The woman questioned prepared for any answer with a big inquisitive smile. _

"_Since you've been working soo hard I decided to make your favorite for dinner tonight!" Rihoko jumped out of her mother's arms and sped off into the kitchen. _

"_Oh yummy!!" the mother smiled and rubbed her belly as she followed the girl into the kitchen. "I can't wait to eat it!" she sighed joyfully. "What would I do without you Riko?" _

_Rihoko only smiled and fixed a plate for her mother and herself and took a seat at the small table in the dining room. _

_The woman sat and looked at her plate with delighted eyes and dug in. _

"_Mmm! This is soo good!" she chuckled with a mouth full of food. _

"_Mommie, don't eat with your mouth full." Riko giggled. _

"_Riko?"_

"Riko?!"

"RIKO?!"

Reiji shook Rihoko but she wouldn't wake, he was almost in tears as tried to awaken his daughter.

"D-dad?" Rihoko stirred groggily and looked up at him. His expression worried her. "Dad, w-what happened?" she questioned looking around. She was still in her room but everything was a blur.

Rihoko pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to piece together what exactly had happened when she noticed a scar on the back of her wrist. It certainly wasn't there before she blacked out.

Reiji noticed it too and recognized it immediately. His eyes widened, suddenly in a state of shock, trying not to convince himself it wasn't what he thought it was.

Rihoko studied it for a moment more until she realized she was still in her undergarments. "Uh… Dad?" her cheeks reddened from embarrassment as she picked her shirt from the floor and placed it to cover her half exposed chest.

Reiji didn't seem to notice, he was still focused on Rihoko's scar. He stood and left Rihoko to herself but continued to think on the mark.

There was no way it could be with mark of the Witchblade…

Could it?

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**Author's Note 2: Please review? I would like to know if people like my story or not and if there are things I could improve. **


	4. Reprieve

**Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait again! Got writers block and school is evil! DX Enjoy! **

**Reprieve **

The next day Rihoko woke in a cold sweat, the events from yesterday still plaguing her mind. What exactly had happened to her? What was the mysterious scar on her wrist? So many questions so little answers.

She was slightly frightened by a loud vibration on her nightstand: it had diverted her attention from the scar on her wrist.

Rihoko leaned over to get a better view of her phone before picking it up and reading the name on the fluorescent green mini-screen. _1 New Message _the screen read. The message was from Sato.

_Hey, you didn't forget about Yokoshita's birthday party did you? _

"Oh right!" Rihoko exclaimed to her empty room, launching herself out of bed. She quickly found clothes to wear so she could meet up with her friends.

Sato, Kazuki, and herself had planned to give Yokoshita a surprise birthday party. They would come knocking on her front door bearing gifts, and food, and to top it off, a homemade red-velvet cake, Yoko's all time favorite cake.

Rihoko finally made it to Sato's house. Kazuki was already there wearing a dark-red polo with a black collar and threading, it had a white stripe going horizontally around his chest that complimented his white pants and black shoes.

"Where is Satoshi?" Rihoko questioned as she sat down on a bright green couch in the living room and set down a neatly wrapped gift next to her.

"She's in the kitchen baking a cake." Kazuki replied, hands in his pockets.

"And the cake is done!" Sato chimed coming out of the kitchen, she was nearly covered head to toe in flour but she was grinning widely with a beautiful red-velvet cake with the words "Happy Birthday Yoko!" written in blue icing.

Rihoko was quite surprised with the cake's outcome, she never classified Sato as a baker, Kazuki or Yokoshita were usually the bakers out of the three.

"Let's hope it tastes as good as it looks." Kazuki teased.

Sato laughed. "Let's hope indeed!" She took off her apron which left an outline in all the flour. "I will go take a quick shower and change so be right back." She quickly turned to go to the bathroom leaving a trail of white powder behind.

"There's never a dull moment with Sato." Rihoko chuckled.

"Nope." Kazuki agreed.

The room was quiet for a while; the only thing was heard was the traffic outside and the rushing water from Sato's bathroom. Rihoko was starting to worry a bit about Kazuki, he was usually very talkative but he didn't seem to have anything to say today. She would have said something herself but she was still deep in her own thoughts as well.

Kazuki had took to looking out of the window down on the streets of Tokyo, from the height the people down below looked like ants scurrying about their busy lives. He sighed and thought about the other day when the odd man had come and how Rihoko had reacted after he left. It began to bother him greatly; Rihoko had never closed early on a whim.

"Riko?" he began slowly.

Rihoko was a bit surprised since he rarely used the name she'd been trying to get him to use for few year's she'd known him. "Yes Kazu? What is it?"

"Who was that guy yesterday, that corporate looking guy with the freaky snake eyes?" He questioned.

Rihoko thought quickly how to reply. "No one important, an old… family friend I suppose you could say."

"Ah…" Kazuki wasn't too convinced she was telling the truth and continued his little interrogation. "Why did you close early yesterday?"

"Family business, you know?" Rihoko replied, it wasn't the entire truth but it would do for now.

"Alright guys! Ready when you are!" Sato said merrily as she exited the bathroom with a towel drying her hair. "Let's not keep Yokoshita waiting any longer!"

Kazuki laughed, "She's not even expecting us." He pointed out.

"Well, lets not keep each other waiting then." Sato dropped the towel on the floor and picked up the cake and a basket of assorted hygiene products and headed towards the door.

Kazuki waited for Rihoko to exit before he closed the door.

The trip to Yokoshita's was a short one for she only lived a few blocks away from Sato in a small house she had inherited from her parents.

Sato skipped up to the front door and knocked four times. Footsteps were heard from inside and a meow from Yokoshita's chubby cat. Kazuki cringed slightly: he knew exactly what would happen when Yokoshita opened the door.

The door clicked and Yokoshita's messy brunette head popped out frowning. "Not a surprise party…" she groaned.

"Yes exactly! A surprise party!" Sato grinned stepping inside so Yokoshita couldn't close them out.

"Yay." Yokoshita cheered sarcastically and let the other two party members inside. Kazuki was cautious going inside, checking every direction for Mr. McMuffin, when he found the living room was clear he let out a heavy sigh of relief. His relief was short lived; the brown black and white spotted cat was crouching on top of a bookshelf leaped elegantly onto Kazuki's blonde head. The tall boy started running around the house frightening the poor cat to the point it was digging its sharp claws into Kazuki's head making Kazuki freak out even more.

Yokoshita quickly picked the cat from his head when Kazuki went racing by and calmed it down. "Shh, he's not going to hurt you, he's just too much of an idjit to understand that you have a thing for the color yellow." She laughed at scratch marks on Kazuki's forehead and set the cat on the floor.

"I told you guys that cat is evil." Kazuki's panted now exhausted from running around the living room.

Sato and Rihoko laughed a hardy laugh and gave Yokoshita their presents.

"You shouldn't have." Yokoshita looked displeased over Sato's basket of hygiene products, though it was her favorite sent, cherry blossom. She then un-wrapped Rihoko's gift, a brand new sheik mp3 player, "Sweet, " the birthday girl tried to seem as though she didn't really care but she did.

"It's to replace the one Kazuki broke." Rihoko grinned, Kazuki frowned.

"What did you bring blondie?" Yokoshita cut her light brown eyes at him. He scuffled through his pockets a bit and pulled out a small something wrapped in blue wrapping paper.

Yokoshita opened it quickly, throwing the paper on the floor. "Oh yay… a gift card for a free trip to the spa…" Her eyes became sheepish.

Kazuki chuckled nervously. "I thought you might want a day to relax you know… since you're so uptight."

A house shoe went flying across the room and hit him square in the face. "Ow! What was that for?" He yelled holding his nose."

"Oh suck it up, and thanks for the gift card." Yokoshita smiled and left all of her gifts on the coffee table before going after the cake Sato made.

The three enjoyed the cake, well all that Yokoshita would let them have and some hours later they all left Yokoshita's and went home.

The day had died down. It was just sunset as Rihoko walked slowly down the dispersed Tokyo streets, taking in the scenery around her. At the same time thinking still about the previous night, or morning, it was all still a blurb a moment in her life that was blank with no memory to fill it. She neared closer to the NSWF building, looking at it was intimidating; yet she still wanted to venture inside. She still wanted to know what Wado wanted and what knowledge he possessed.

She shook off the thought again and continued down the sidewalk. That was until she heard an odd sound. At first she thought it human, then she thought it machine but it wasn't exactly humanly like or exactly machine like either. It was a strange mixture of the two. Rihoko ignored it at first but then her wrist began to tingle, a tingle like touching a shock toy and holding on, the tingle slowly creeping up her wrist. She heard the sound again, but it was louder, the tingle in her arm became a sharp pain as if a thousand needles were stabbing her in the arm. The sound louder still, the pain worsened to knives and her wrist began to glow an ominous red and the pain could only be undeservingly described as being shot by a machine gun in one concentrated spot.


	5. The Hospital

Everything was black, the darkness surrounded Rihoko's mind was falling but she could feel her body stationery. She was lying on something comfortable, perhaps a bed.

Wait... a bed?

When did she get in a bed?

Rihoko sprung upright and looked all around her. Everything was white and bland, everything except a black screen. An IV was stuck into her arm along with an assortment of monitoring cords. She was in what seemed to be a hospital from the interior. She pulled the thin white blanket over her body once she realized that she had on no clothing.

"Great you're awake."

A light flickered from the screen and the face of a woman appeared. She had dark almost black hair with a single green streak in a bang that framed her face and vivid blue slits for eyes. It was no one Rihoko could readily recognize, not in her present state but her voice sounded vaguely familiar.

"Who are you?" Rihoko questioned cautiously pulling the white sheet even closer to her.

"I am Yume Wado." The woman replied as she threaded her fingers together then resting her pointed chin on them.

Wado? … This woman seemed too young to be his wife, yet too old to be his daughter. Who was she?

"You've met my brother before, Masaya, what an idiot." She shook her head.

"What do you want with me Yume?" Rihoko questioned ignoring Yume's insult to her brother. "How did I get here? What happened to me last night?"

The blue eyed woman smirked and in turn on acknowledged Rihoko's interrogation with. "In due time Rihoko, for now just relax."

"Why am I here?" Rihoko questioned relentlessly demanding an answer rather than asking for it.

Yume sighed. "You are quite the persistent one." She suddenly laughed a laugh so obnoxious and piercing glass would shatter in its wake. "Listen to me Rihoko, you are in no position to question me. You belong to me now." With those final words the screen shone black again. Rihoko laid back head slightly throbbing as she sheepishly looked at the ceiling.

"_You belong to me now." _Echoed through her mind, questions still unanswered.

A sound like steam out of an iron filled the room, the automatic door opened a short woman, early twenties wearing a white nurse's dress her blond hair in bun slowly entered the room. "Here are your clothes." She said timidly laying them down on the small table beside Rihoko's bed.

"Thank you." Rihoko nodded examining the woman's face. "By any chance do you know how I got here?"

The woman looked startled that Rihoko asked her a question. "No." she answered bashfully before leaving Rihoko once again, alone…

**Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay and the primitiveness of this chapter. ~ The next will be longer I swear. **


	6. Escape

**Author's Note: Again real sorry for the delay. School and All You know the deal. ^^; This one is extra long for your reading pleasure! **_

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**Escape**

_A feeling of unimaginable strength pulsated through her body. The cold warmth of some unknown metal hugged her body forming a type of body armor. The girl didn't quite understand what was happening to her but she didn't try to reject this new sensation… a sensation that could only be described as ecstasy. _

Rihoko tossed and turned in her hospital bed: the drug that she'd been given before had seduced her to sleep in the idleness of the room. She had been plagued for what seemed like hours by the paranormal dreams that couldn't possibly be true, could they?

_An evil cackle filled the night silence as well as the sound of metal colliding with concrete. A sharp slice and an ear piercing scream were heard soon after then an explosion. Rubble and shrapnel flew in all directions. The cackle was heard again but not as loud as the first as though it were in the form of a snicker erupting from the lips of its owner. _

A gasp interrupted her slumber she shot up to a vertical position, looking in every direction. She realized she was still in the hospital room and calmed down as her breathing slowed to normal. The silence was overwhelming, only hearing the ventilation system made her feel as though she were in a psychiatric ward. She had to get out, everything that happened over the course of unrecorded time wasn't a dream; it was real, Rihoko was sure of it.

She got out of bed; she had long since put her clothes the nurse gave her. She staggered a bit as she took her first few steps but regained her rhythm and made it to the automatic doors. Figuring they wouldn't open, which they didn't, she resorted to beating on the metallic frames.

"I know you can hear me Yume! Let me out!" she screamed repeatedly. "I don't belong to you! Just wait until I tell my father!!"

"And he'll do what, Rihoko?" Yume's chilling voice echoed calmly over the intercom and her face appeared onto the screen. "Daddy isn't here to save you this time! It's time to learn how to protect yourself!" Her ear shattering cackle filled Rihoko's ears making her cringe in its wake.

The screen turned black once again but the cackling didn't stop, soon a loud grumbling noise took its place and an entire wall of the room collapsed.

Rihoko jumped back and ran to the corner of the room. A metal tank-like creature had rammed itself through the walls had a barrel pointed straight at Rihoko. She breathed heavily, heart running the 100 meter dash.

What was she to do?

Every instinct in her bone told her to run but she was frozen in place unable to move or make a sound.

The tank rolled closer to Rihoko it was so close she could see the bullet impatiently waiting to be fired inside of the being's cylinder.

There was an explosion only this time it was from the machine, the bullet was suddenly surrounded by fire and it was speeding out of the cylinder and towards Rihoko.

With speed of sound coordination the barrel of the tank was jammed and the entire tank imploded. Amidst the fire and smoke stood Rihoko seething in anger and a new found lust for destruction.

In that split second everything about Rihoko had changed; her natural ebony hair now a long flowing lightning blue, her clothes replaced by a pitch maroon organic metal armor that snaked around her body hugging her skin like an exoskeleton with neon pink designs intertwined with it. Her body was adorned with several blue tattoos underneath her eyes that almost looked as though someone had taken a paint brush and outlined the bottom of her eyes and let the paint thin around her cheeks down to her jaw line and the whites in her eyes replaced by an empty black and her brown irises by a pale glowing yellow. There were katana sharp blades sticking from her forearms and her finger tips as well as from her heels.

As the smoked cleared and fire spread throughout the building Rihoko's newly changed demon-yellow eyes scanned the area. The sprinkler system kicked in and sprayed a foamy liquid on the flames until they dwindled to ash. Rihoko took a few steps, the metallic heels that formed with her armor made loud clanking noises as they made impact with the linoleum floors.

"Miss Amaha!" The same shy nurse that had brought Rihoko clothes came rushing down the hallways. She squealed when she saw Rihoko's new form and froze in place.

Rihoko didn't say a word to the nurse... Her metallic fingers coiled themselves around the nurse's neck and began to apply pressure.

"How does it feel Rihoko?" Yume's voice streamed over the intercoms. "Doesn't it feel like power is pulsating throughout your entire body?" she laughed. "A feeling of ecstasy?"

Yume's voice seemed to hit every nerve in Rihoko's being. Her eyes squinted with anger and with one motion she launched the nurse, screaming, down the halls. Her hair elongated into sharp whip-like tentacles and destroyed the speakers until Yume's voice was replaced with the sharp sound of sparking electrical wires.

"You cannot escape me Rihoko!" Yume cackled. "Nor can you escape the Witchblade."

"No!" Rihoko growled and like a sonic wave of energy warped a hole through the walls.

Outside could be seen, the full moon glistening peacefully in the night sky. "I will not be slave to you or the Witchblade!" she yelled and jumped out of the window gracefully, she was at least seven stories high but she landed on her feet without a scratch.

From there she ran.

She quickly reverted to her normal state but she would not stop running in fear of something or someone chasing her.

She ran as quickly as she could to get away from that hellacious building. She knew it, was the building the NSWF used to use but ever since the "Sister" project the NSWF hadn't meddled in the affairs of the Witchblade but, of course they thought the ancient weapon had been eliminated from the face of the earth.

There were too many new questions to count.

How did Yume get so much power in the NSWF?

How did Yume find the Witchblade in the first place, and why seek out and kidnap her?

So many new questions with so few answers, and what was Rihoko to do but run aimlessly through Downtown Tokyo?

Wait… Downtown Tokyo? Kazuki lived in Downtown Tokyo.

She ran down the alleys looking for a certain apartment complex. It belonged to Mariko after Marry's Gallery was demolished, sadly they built an apartment complex in its place.

Rihoko; however, purchased the complex and gave it to Mariko and that's how she met Kazuki who is a distance relative to Mr. Cho so she found out later on.

Once she found it she slid quickly into its double glass doors panting heavily. Mariko was fixing herself a night drink and almost spat it over the counter as the doors came swinging open.

"Rihoko?!" Mariko exclaimed setting her drink down on the table. "You look like you've been through hell what's wrong with ya?"

"It's nothing." Rihoko forced a smile and caught her breath. "I just came to pay Kazuki a visit."

"At this time of night?!" Mariko squinted and folded her arms. "You're not fooling me Riko and you're not leaving this room until you tell me everything."

"But Miss Mariko I'm really tired can I possibly tell you tomorrow?" said Rihoko almost pleading.

"No, tell me now and save yourself a lot of trouble later."

Rihoko sighed heavily. "Please Miss Mariko? If you let it wait I'll pay Kazuki's rent. I know him, it's late isn't it?"

Mariko was reluctant but the deal was a bit too sweet not to take since she always had problems with tenants not paying rent on time. "You better pay kid or I'm kicking him out got that? And you better tell me what happened to you tomorrow kid!"

"Aye!" Rihoko grinned and ran upstairs to room 56 and knocked on the door as silently as she could. "Please open up…" she whispered to the door.

A few moments later a blond bed head stuck itself out the door. "Oh Miss Ama- I mean Miss Riko what are you doing here so late?" Kazuki questioned groggily rubbing his eyes.

"I… I just need a place to stay for the night. I'll take the couch and you won't even know I'm there. I'll be gone by morning, promise!"

"Hey hey slow down its 4A.M. anything you say quicker than a snail is too much to take in at this hour." He chuckled a bit and stepped away from the door to let Rihoko come inside of his one bedroom flat.

He went over to his bed and took a pillow from it and plopped down on the couch only several feet away. "You can have the bed." He groaned into his pillow and within seconds he was asleep again.

Rihoko sat on the bed and looked at the 'bracelet' on her wrist. A silver colored metal triangularly coiled around her wrist and dead center was a red gem that looked more like a scarlet eye than a precious stone staring back at her. She realized that she couldn't have been in that hospital too long, perhaps a day or so but it felt like weeks probably because of the drugs they'd given to sedate her.

She lay on the single sized bed and looked over at Kazuki sound asleep on the couch. Rihoko began to wonder why he didn't question her when he saw that she was in a hospital gown or why she was even as his house of all places. Normally if she needed to get away from home she would opt for Satoshi's house or even Yokoshita's before even considering going to Kazuki's.

Perhaps he was just too tired to pay attention to detail… at least she thought so until Kazuki sprung up from the couch, brown confused and staring at Rihoko.

The sudden movement started Rihoko and she squeaked and pushed herself back into the wall.

"Miss Amaha what happened to you?" He said in question of the hospital gown.

"Don't do that Zuki!" she yelled in a loud whisper. "And… um, I was at a party and couldn't find a way home." She grinned hoping he'd believe her lie but it was too farfetched.

"C'mon Riko… I'm not stupid, were you in the hospital or something?" he questioned looking at the medical band on her left wrist and the holes from where the IV was in her forearm.

She shook her head and looked at the comforter. "It's a really long story…"

"I'm all ears."

Rihoko sad up reluctantly and took in a deep breath "You remember the guy who came to the restaurant the other day?"

He nodded.

"Well his name is Masaya Wado and he used to work with my father. Turns out he hasn't forgiven him for letting Douji crumble into oblivion… So I guess 11 years in the loony bin he thought of ways to get back at my dad and I am unfortunately a part of it… I was attacked in an alley by someone and I woke up in a hospital bed. I didn't know what was going on and I was scared and confused so I escaped the hospital and ran for the closet friend's house in the case Wado would send someone else after me. Corporate masterminds can be very deadly so I need to take caution. Me just being here could put you in danger so I'm only spending the night in hiding then I'm going home."

It was a lie but she couldn't tell Kazuki that now she was the wielder of the Witchblade. He wouldn't understand. After twelve years of vacancy of the Witchblade, Neogenes, exCons, and iWeapons people tend to forget such things and considering Kazuki was only about 9 years old at the time she doubted he remembered any of it anyway.

"So he's after you? That bastard!" he exclaimed and stood. "Someone has to put a stop to that psychopath!"

Rihoko sat up and turned towards the blue carpet.

"Calm down Kazuki…It's not your fight…"

**Reviews Are Highly Encouraged! **


	7. Can't Write Anymore Sorry

I'm sorry.

I cannot keep up with this story.

My deepest apologizes to all of you who read it you've given me great criticism that I will take to heart for any future projects I may work on.

You guys have been great just to put up with me really.

Because I know my updates were rather spacy… and my chapters were rather short…

I'm just not a lengthy writer…

Also… if anyone wants to continue this feel free but do realize Satoshi, Yokoshita, and Kazuki belong to me if you use those characters…

If you want to continue it just send me a message okay?

I don't care for Yume Wado … actually I'd planned for her name to be Wado she's not even his daughter. : She's just an obsessed person who claims to be his daughter she's not actually of blood relation.

At least that's what I had planned but I can't think of anything else so …

Sorry. TwT


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